Breaking: High winds wreak havoc around Berkeley

Strong winds throughout the North and East Bay are taking down trees, knocking out power and sending debris, branches and leaves swirling through Berkeley streets Thursday night.

The National Weather Service issued a wind advisory this afternoon for the East Bay hills and the Diablo range that will be in effect through 10 a.m. Friday. At 10:40 p.m., PG&E reported 37 outages affecting 7,561 customers in Berkeley.

Residents around Thousand Oaks, near Peralta and Gilman, and on Oregon Street near Sacramento reported being without power.

East to northeast winds from 35-39 mph were predicted, with gusts up to 45 mph. At elevations from 900-2,500 feet, winds up to 69 mph were predicted.

Residents are warned to watch out for downed trees and power lines, as well as difficult driving conditions.

High winds downed a tree at Stuart and MLK in Berkeley on Thursday Nov. 21. Photo: Emilie Raguso

Along Martin Luther King Jr. Way, emergency crews had the roadway blocked with caution tape at westbound Dwight, where police said a tree had fallen.

“It’s happening all over the city,” said Berkeley Police Sgt. Cesar Melero.

Further south, at Martin Luther King and Stuart, a driver in a maintenance truck attached a rope to a downed tree and pulled it off the sidewalk at the corner.

At Martin Luther King and Russell, the traffic signal was out, and the intersection was marked with several burning flares.

In neighboring Oakland two people were in wind-related accidents Thursday, according to KTVU. A collision between a vehicle and a fallen tree the 13000 block of Skyline Boulevard at 8:36 p.m. killed an occupant of the car, Oakland police said, and another person was killed when a power line came down on Austin Street near Fruitvale Avenue.

This story was updates as new information emerged.

Use the comments below to let us and your fellow Berkeley residents know what you’ve seen happening tonight as a result of the wind. This story may be updated as more information becomes available. Send wind-related photos to tips@berkeleyside.com.